Ashwin Ramaswami, a former candidate for the Georgia State Senate, has taken on a new challenge—this time in the tech world. Leveraging his background in computer science and government cybersecurity, Ramaswami has co-founded Corridor, a startup based in California that uses AI to help enterprises secure their software. Drawing from his experience in cybersecurity and election security within the U.S. federal government, Ramaswami is now applying his expertise to the private sector to address vulnerabilities in enterprise software.
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Before launching his startup, he worked at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Sequoia Capital, and Schmidt Futures. He has worked on projects across all three major cloud platforms—AWS, Azure, and GCP—and holds a TS/SCI clearance as well as an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification. He earned a B.S. in computer science from Stanford University and a J.D. from Georgetown Law. In addition to his startup, he runs Ashwin Run, a freelance consulting company focused on full-stack software development, cloud architecture, and technology law and policy.
In an exclusive interview with The American Bazaar, Ramaswami shares his entrepreneurial journey and the inspiration behind Corridor, his new AI startup.
The American Bazaar: Ashwin, tell us about your new startup.
Ashwin Ramaswami: Yeah, definitely. Before I ran for office, I did computer science. I worked as a software engineer and focused on cybersecurity and election security in the federal government. The work I’m doing now takes those skills and applies them to the private sector. My startup, named Corridor, is something I’m building with a former classmate from Stanford and a colleague from my time in the federal government. Our goal is to help enterprises secure their code using AI and large language models.
We’re combining our expertise in cybersecurity with AI research to create real change. There’s a huge opportunity right now, and things are evolving quickly. One thing I’ve learned is that there are so many ways to make a difference—not just through government work, but also by starting a company and creating a service that people need.
What’s the meaning behind the name Corridor?
When naming a company, you want to choose something that reflects its purpose. Our goal is co-transformation using AI. Just like a corridor connects two different spaces, we want to create a pathway that transforms insecure code into secure code.
If a company has millions of lines of code, making large-scale security improvements can seem impossible. We believe AI can simplify that process and make enterprise security more effective.
What inspired you to transition from running for office to launching a startup?
I’ve always been involved in the startup scene. At Stanford, I worked at various startups as an early engineer, helping to build out full-stack architectures. It was fast-paced, challenging, and exciting.
When I ran for office, I focused on investing in government technical capacity and cybersecurity. But I realized that beyond government, the private sector also plays a critical role in driving technological progress. There are some issues that are much bigger than just the local level. Cybersecurity threats are evolving, and protecting our systems has to be a priority. Running a startup allows me to contribute to that effort in a meaningful way.
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So, you’ve already launched the company?
Yes, but it’s still in the very, very early stages.
How many people are working on it?
Right now, it’s just me and my co-founder. But stay tuned for more updates.
When do you plan to have a product available?
We already have an early product and are working with a couple of customers. Startups go through stages—first, you develop a prototype and test for product-market fit. Once you confirm that your product is solving the right problems, you scale it by raising more funds and expanding.
In many ways, this process is similar to running a campaign. At first, no one knows who you are. You have to prove yourself, connect with people, and build momentum over time. The same goes for a startup. The key is making sure your product truly works for customers and meets their needs.
How big is the market for this kind of solution in the U.S.?
It’s a huge market. There are countless companies that rely on software, particularly enterprise software, and many of them have legacy codebases with security vulnerabilities. AI is transforming cybersecurity—both in offense and defense. Hackers are now using AI to identify vulnerabilities more efficiently, so companies need advanced solutions to defend themselves.
Cyber threats are coming from everywhere—hacker groups, nation-states, and more. Our goal is to provide companies with the tools they need to stay ahead of these threats.
Have you raised money so far, or are you in the process?
We’re currently in the process.
And where can people learn more about Corridor?
You can check out our website at corridor.dev.